Want to volunteer? Stop by the info booth and we will put you to work. ~ Irina
Tacoma HONK! Fest
Oct / 21st / 2023McKinleyHill
Get spooky at Tacoma’s first annual HONK! Fest on Oct 21st, 2023 in the McKinley Hill neighborhood. Put on your favorite costume (Galloping Gertie anyone?) and bring a funky noisemaker. Meet your neighbors, local musicians, maybe even join a band!
Tacoma HONK! Fest is an accessible community music festival driven by the energetic performances of PNW street bands and cultural groups in public spaces. And it’s free of charge!
Instead of formal stages, bands will be moving and marching and dancing around. The audience is always welcome to join in!
We encourage you to walk, bike, or take public transit to the festival. Feel free to walk (or dance) between the stage areas set up in the McKinley Hill business district.
Performers
- AGAB—Seattle, WA
- Analog Brass—Bellingham, WA
- Artesian Rumble Arkestra—Olympia, WA
- Better As Brass—Seattle, WA
- Bigfoot Brass Band—Lakewood, WA
- The Brass Cats—Portland, OR
- Brassless Chaps—Portland, OR
- Cambodian Classical & Folk Dance of NorthWest—Tacoma, WA
- Chaotic Noise Marching Corps—Seattle, WA
- Filthy FemCorps—Seattle, WA
- HONK! All Stars—Earth, Universe
- Krusar Mon - Family First Dance Group—Tacoma, WA
- Lincoln High School Drumline—Tacoma, WA
- Neon Brass Party—Seattle, WA
- One Love—Seattle, WA
- Soul Jambalaya—Seattle, WA
- Sound Machine Honk! Band—Whidbey Island, WA
- Sticks & Bones—Olympia, WA
- Tacomarama—Tacoma, WA
- Taiko Drum—Tacoma, WA
- TMB Brass—Seattle, WA
- Unexpected Brass Band—Port Townsend, WA
- Vaipouli Entertainment—Tacoma, WA
- VamoLá—Seattle, WA
Community Resources
photos by espressobuzz
Wanna HONK! with us?
Dust off your middle school clarinet, your undergrad English Horn, or find that shoebox with that 3rd grade recorder, and jump in on the public jam session (details here). We welcome anyone interested, regardless of age or experience.
How the heck did Tacoma get its own HONK!?
Tacoma HONK! is hosted by Tacomarama Community Street Band, sponsored by HONK! Festival West, and made possible with funding from Tacoma Venues and Events.
Why McKinley Hill?
Not only is McKinley Hill one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tacoma and has some of the coolest views of the Dome, but it's also home to fun and eclectic businesses and a vibrant, active, and engaged community. It’s a Tacoma gem that Tacoma HONK! is excited to show off.
Meet our host band TACOMARAMA!
Tacomarama Community Street Band is a music ensemble that regularly performs at Tacoma-based events, including Tacoma Light Trail Parade, Tacoma Porchfest, and numerous neighborhood celebrations. They’re proud of being all ages and all inclusive, so much so that if you get close enough, a stray trombone may hook your Rainiers hoodie and yank you into the band forever. tacomarama.org
